The Chatot Cheat
by Korona Karyuudo
Summary: "Are you trying to bribe me with a Chatot, kid?"


Title: The Chatot Cheat

Author: Korona Karyuudo

Characters: Lucas, Norton, Charap the Chatot

Summary: "Are you trying to bribe me with a Chatot, kid?"

Disclaimer: I don't own Chatot. Nor do I wish I did. I don't own Pokémon. This I wish I did.

. . . . .

"Are you trying to bribe me with a Chatot, kid?"

My cobalt blue eyes stared deep into his own electric green pair, trying to discern whether or not this was the case. He looked nothing like the shady type, but you could never be too careful in situations like these.

I mean, he looked like he was practically itching for me to take that Chatot off his hands. I didn't know if he was crazy or had a mental problem, but something about him was definitely off.

I could feel the lump in my throat pushing up as I struggled to gulp it down. Was it me, or was the air getting shallower in there? Scratching away at my signature red scarf, I quickly loosened it from my neck, the suffocating feeling starting to lesson to my relief.

What if this was some kind of trick?

Thoughts edged on by paranoia ran through my mind. The kid could be working for some underground black market. He could be a Galactic spy. Anything was possible.

Pausing to gather my thoughts, I took a quick breath before speaking once more, "Seriously kid, are you trying to bribe me with a Chatot?"

His brow scrunched up in confusion at my words, like I was the alien from outer space who he couldn't understand. Taking off his forest green pageboy hat, he sat down on the nearest chair and leaned forward on the table, beckoning me over with the wave of his slim, bony hand.

I did as he asked of me and took the seat across the table, placing my own ruby red pageboy hat on the maple brown countertop. It was a bit worse for wear, as expected from years of usage, but it was still my favorite.

Once more the kid happened to check me over, before suddenly scaring me out of my wits when he bent down to pull up his white knee socks that seemed to be constantly falling. Sudden movements really do make me paranoid at the worst times.

His head back over the table, he placed a shiny red and white Pokéball before me that I figured he must have taken out of the pocket of his green overalls after he fixed his socks. Pushing back navy blue, unkempt hair with his hand, he spoke to me again.

"Excuse me," here he paused, "but do you got that –"

"Yeah I know, I know, you said it before," I cut him off in agitation.

Really, just what was this kid getting at? If he absolutely wanted what he said he did, he could've gotten it through a whole bunch of different methods.

Most of all, I wondered why he had to ask me of all people; There I was, taking a stroll through Eterna City and on my way to visit the Name Rater when this kid just but in with his question.

I guess I must have taken a long while thinking because the next time he spoke, my ears picked up the impatience in his voice.

"Look, I just want to know if you got that Pokémon named Buizel."

"Yes, yes of course I have a Buizel. If I didn't catch a Buizel then I couldn't have completed my Pokédex mission." I retorted.

What I said seemed to have the opposite effect that I hoped for though, because his eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of getting what he wanted.

"Wanna trade it for my Chatot?" he burst out in glee, voice shrieking in my ear.

Really, this kid was too much.

Standing abruptly from my chair, I decided that the deal wasn't fair. I'd be giving up one of my gym dominators for a talking bird who might just get on my nerves all the time.

Making up my mind, I flat out refused by saying, "No."

In that instant, the sparkle in the little boy's eyes disappeared and tears seemed to shine in the light.

Slouching in his seat he sighed out, "Oh, okay. Totally got it. It's all right if you don't want to." He paused to contemplate his next words, when all of a sudden, his spirit returned and he proclaimed," But if you change your mind, let's totally trade some Pokémon."

Now, don't get me wrong. I can't stand when a kid whines about something they want to get but can't have, but what I really hate is when they guilt trip you after you say no to them.

And that's exactly what he did.

Giving up my pride, I decided it might be in my better interests just to trade Pokémon with him.

"Wait a minute, kid.'" I couldn't believe I was about to do this. "I'll trade my Buizel to you for your Chatot."

With that, I pulled out my Buizel's Pokéball from my pocket and handed it to him. We had some good times together, but maybe he could make this kid happier…

So you could believe I was startled when he meekly exclaimed, "What I totally want is a Buizel…"

"Wait a minute," here I snatched the Pokéball from him, only to find out that it didn't belong to my Buizel, "Sorry, wrong Pokéball."

Expertly switching out the ball held in my hand for the correct one, I once more gave it to the kid while saying, "Here you go."

Picking up the Chatot's Pokéball that he had previously placed on the table, I got lost in contemplation while in the background the kid rambled on.

"Yes! So awesome! A Buizel!" he looked back into my eyes, a smile stretching across his face, "I so promise I'll be good to it!"

But I myself wondered what use a Chatot could be to my party, only to have my question answered by the kid when he explained, "Oh yeah, Chatot can learn some human speech pretty quickly. Try out its move Chatter. You'll totally see what I mean."

A half smile began to form with my lips as I moved to leave the room.

"Sure kid, I'll do just that. See ya." I spoke, turning on my heel and heading to the door.

"Wait!" the kid yelled out, "I never got your name."

Turning to look at him over my shoulder I said, "My name's Lucas. How about you, kid?"

"I'm Norton." He replied, "Take good care of Charap!"

I gave him a reassuring smile and wave before I really left, my departing words being, "Don't worry, I will. And you take care of my Buizel."

Slinging my yellow backpack over my shoulder, I proudly walked out the door of the Eterna Condominiums as the new owner of a Chatot.

A Chatot.

In my party.

It was only once I got half way down the road that I realized just what a stupid mistake I made. The smile that once adorned my lips slipped off my face as I scrambled to retrieve my Pokédex. Opening it up, I checked the entry for Chatot.

"Chatot, the Music Pokémon," my Pokédex cried in its robotic voice," It copies whatever sounds it hears and arranges them into its own melody. Its tongue is just like a human's. As a result, it can cleverly mimic human speech."

My eyes widened visibly at the contents of the entry. So, stuffing my Pokédex back into my backpack, I pulled out Charap's Pokéball and threw it up in the air, releasing him in a flash of white light.

Sitting cross-legged on the middle of the sidewalk, I stared intensely into the Pokémon's eyes. He had this aloft look on his face and cocked his head to the right in confusion.

After a few moments of awkward silence and the people passing by me staring, probably thinking I was crazy, the Chatot opened its beak and squawked out, "Hiide your Poookémoon, hide your Iiitemss, and hide your Riivalss, 'cuz Galaactiic be steaalin' e'rboodyy out there SQUUAAWWK."

That was the last straw.

"You aare reeallyy dumb, foor reeal."

What was this sorry excuse for a Chatot? I couldn't believe I gave up one of my best friends for this abomination.

Before the Chatot started to sing the rest of the parody song, I moved to grab it by the beak and then recalled it to its Pokéball. Racing back to the Eterna Condominiums, I threw the door open in blind fury.

Marching straight up to the little kid I had just traded with, he turned to face me after I slammed my fist on the table in rage.

"Oh hey Lucas!" he cried out in greeting, "Did that Chatot I traded you totally learn that Chatter move? It will mimic your speech if you use that move outside of battle. It'll forget any speech you taught it if you stick it in a PC box, though. So what's –"

" –Hold up kid. What I want is my Buizel back, cappish?" I spat out, eyes alight with fire.

"Hey, hold on, we traded fair and square!" he screamed in outrage.

Grabbing hold of the front of his shirt, I slammed his back into the lemon green colored wall and said, slowly but passionately, "Give me back my Buizel…NOW."

Face contorted in fright, he shakily held out Buizel's Pokéball in his left hand, which I switched with his Chatot's. Letting him go, I stomped out of that place as the kid slouched to the floor.

Head held high, I reveled in my victory.

Though I might have been a fool to fall for that lousy trade at first, I was not as daft as to recognize my mistake and leave it without fixing.

Leaving the city gates, strength filled my voice as I thought of the moral of this story and said, "That'll teach that kid to try to bribe me with a Chatot again."

. . . . .

Hey everyone! Long time no update huh? Well, sorry about that, but now that school is back in session I've been uber busy. I'll try to upload a couple of oneshots now and then, but no promises on LUTD. Although, I'm proud to let you all know that I've worked out a lot of the big problems I've been having and am now working on another chapter of it, to be posted who knows when.

Anyways, expect very little from me in the next couple of months, but also keep in mind that I've been exploding with creativity recently so there might be a new long story idea in the works soon enough.

Well, that's all for this oneshot my dear readers! A big thanks to Stolloss for proofreading it for me and Fear the Pika for coming up with the title since I could not, for the life of me, come up with one. Not like I'm subliminal messaging, but you should check out their work.

As always, I adore your reviews and any constructive criticism you give me will certainly help me improve my writing.

Till Next Time!

-Torrie


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